Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;ARLUNO DARK PINK&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Arluno Dark Pink’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; and decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are light red purple in color.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Arluno Dark Pink’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniformly mounding and freely flowering Chrysanthemum plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum X morifoliurn ‘Arluno Pink’, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant from within a population of plants of ‘Arluno Pink’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in October, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative terminal cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2016.

Asexual reproduction by vegetative terminal cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Arluno Dark Pink’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Arluno Dark Pink’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly rounded plant         habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Long flowering period.     -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are         light red purple in color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the mutation parent, ‘Arluno Pink’. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Arluno Pink’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniform than plants         of ‘Arluno Pink’.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are darker red         purple in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Arluno Pink’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘G20ARL11OR’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/732,914. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘G20ARL11OR’ in ray floret color as ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are light red purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘G20ARL11OR’ are greyed red in color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum X morifolium‘GED18ARL2Y’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/732,906. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘GED18ARL2Y’ in ray floret color as ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are light red purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘GED18ARL2Y’ are bright yellow in color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘GED18ARL6V’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/732,907. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘GED18ARL6V’ in ray floret color as ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are light red purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘GED18ARL6V’ are dark red purple in color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Amiko Violet’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,453. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘PPP AMIK 09’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more uniformly rounded         than plants of ‘PPP AMIK 09’.     -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are darker green in         color than leaves of plants of ‘PPP AMIK 09’.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower about one week later         than plants of ‘PPP AMIK 09’.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have slightly smaller         inflorescences than plants of ‘PPP AMIK 09’.     -   5. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are light red         purple in color whereas ray florets of plants of ‘PPP AMIK 09’         are violet in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Arluno Dark Pink’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the summer and autumn and under cultural practices generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 18° C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Arluno Dark     Pink’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum     X morifolium ‘Arluno Pink’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About two weeks at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days             at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically light brown in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded             appearance to the plant; plants roughly spherical; very             freely branching habit, about 25 to 30 primary lateral             branches develop, each primary lateral branch with multiple             secondary branches; pinching enhances lateral branch             development; dense and full plant habit; moderately vigorous             growth habit; plants flexible, not brittle.         -   Plant height.—About 40 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 3 mm. Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Moderately             strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent, fine; longitudinally             ridged. Color: Close to 137A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 3 cm             to 5 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 3 cm. Apex: Rounded to             cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and             serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to             parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly             pubescent. Venation: Palmately reticulate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 137C. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 137D. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to N137C; venation, close to 148C. Fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 147B to 147C. Petioles: Length: About 1 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly pubescent; slightly rough. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.             Stipules: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent; rough. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 137A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;             inflorescences borne on terminals above foliar plane; disc             and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-September in Belgium; flowering response time,             about 35 days.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about 42 days in an outdoor nursery;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 30 to 35 inflorescences             develop per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About             1.3 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 63B.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 3.5 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 3 mm; inconspicuous.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 2.5 mm to 3 mm.         -   Receptacle color.—Close to 144B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.5 cm to 5 cm. Width: About             7 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture and luster, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 150 to 200 arranged in             about ten whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Close to 70C; proximally, close to 70A; color             does not change with development. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 65B; color does not change             with development.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to             1 mm. Shape: Tubular, apices acute. Number of disc florets             per inflorescence: About 20 massed at the center of the             inflorescence. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy.             Color, immature: Close to 145A. Color, mature: Close to 12A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25             arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.             Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 5 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: About 30° from vertical.             Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly pubescent.             Color: Close to 137C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Not observed.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date seed and fruit production have not             been observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Arluno Dark Pink’ as illustrated and described. 